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An Australian naval exhibit, Clash of the Carriers: the Battle of the Coral Sea, will be on display at the Military Aviation Museum from August 4th through December 31st.

The three-banner display and dramatic new video documentary presentation highlights the four days in May 1942 when three navies, four aircraft carriers, 255 aircraft and 76 ships fought a battle that changed naval warfare forever. Eight ships were sunk, 161 aircraft destroyed and more than 1,600 men were killed in the world’s first sea battle between aircraft carriers. Video content includes interviews with American and Australian veterans of the battle.

This exhibit is on loan from the Australian National Maritime Museum with the Military Aviation Museum as it tours the United States. It highlights the ongoing friendship and alliance between our two countries and has been developed as part of ANMM’s ‘War and Peace in the Pacific 75’ commemorative program. Clash of the Carriers is part of the Australian National Maritime Museum’s USA Programs and is funded by the USA Bicentennial Gift Fund.

The Clash of the Carriers banner exhibition is included in the price of museum admission: Free for Members, $15/Adults, $13/Seniors, $12/Military, $7.50/Youth, children under 6 free.

Snoopy and the Red Baron, a traveling exhibition on view at the Military Aviation Museum, from July 21 – October 14th, 2018, celebrates one of Snoopy’s most recognized personas. Learn about this favorite storyline in Peanuts through high quality reproductions of original comic strips and discover the rich World War I history Schulz used in nearly every strip.

Visitors can also step into character as the Flying Ace by donning flying caps and goggles for a photo-op next to Snoopy’s doghouse.

When asked about the origins of Snoopy’s aviator role, Charles Schulz credited his son Monte’s interest in making plastic airplane models as his chief inspiration. Schulz described drawing a little helmet on Snoopy after seeing Monte’s World War I aircraft models, and “suddenly got the idea for it.” He also cited 1960s events that commemorated the start of World War I, and movies such as The Dawn Patrol. He immediately recognized the potential of the Flying Ace, acknowledging, “I knew I had one of the best things I had thought of in a long time.”

Throughout the decades, Snoopy comically embraced his fighter pilot role for delighted Peanuts readers. As Snoopy envisioned himself soaring through the clouds in pursuit of his nemesis, the infamous Red Baron, he sat atop his doghouse, which he imagined to be a real British biplane known as a Sopwith Camel (Schulz once said, “Can you think of a funnier name for an airplane?”). He wandered through parts of Europe that World War I aviators genuinely traversed, stopping in cafés to quaff root beers and flirt with French mademoiselles. In everything he cartooned, Schulz strove for authenticity, a point made especially clear by his Flying Ace storylines.

Beyond the comic strip, Snoopy as the Flying Ace prompted the manufacture of countless memorabilia items, including toys, games, music boxes, and puppets. Fans dressed up their dogs in flying caps and goggles, and Air Force squadrons adopted Snoopy as a symbol of their patriotism. This most famous of all Snoopy’s personas continues to bring humor and nostalgic joy to Peanuts fans all over the world.

“I don’t think there has been an animal character in a long time that has done the different things that Snoopy has done,” Schulz once reflected. “He’s an attorney. He’s a surgeon. He’s the World War I Flying Ace.”

On July 21, in celebration of the exhibit opening, the museum will be giving a flight demonstration of the Fokker DR1, the iconic aircraft of the Red Baron. The Military Aviation Museum is home to nearly 30 flight worthy WWI era aircraft, making it one of the largest collections of its type in the nation. This exhibit is included with general admission and is free for museum members. The Military Aviation Museum is open every day 9am-5pm, with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Snoopy and the Red Baron is organized and toured by the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center, Santa Rosa, California.

The Military Aviation Museum, home to one of the world’s largest collections of World War One, World War Two, and Korean War era fighters, today announced that it has received a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence. Now in its eighth year, the achievement celebrates businesses that have earned great traveler reviews on TripAdvisor over the past year. Certificate of Excellence recipients include attractions, restaurants and accommodations located all over the world that have continually delivered a quality customer experience.

“As a museum, the visitor experience is paramount, and that starts with our volunteers. Our friendly and knowledgeable docents really bring the history of these aircraft alive,” says Jarod Hoogland, Museum Director at the Military Aviation Museum. “With our docents and incredible collection of flying aircraft, the experience here is unlike any other. Thank you TripAdvisor for recognizing what we offer, and we’re excited to bring the thrill of living aviation history to Virginia Beach. ”

“TripAdvisor is excited to announce the recipients of the 2018 Certificate of Excellence, which celebrates experiences and other travel businesses that have consistently received strong praise and ratings on the world’s largest travel site,” said Heather Leisman, Vice President of Industry Marketing, TripAdvisor. “This recognition allows us to publicly honor businesses that are actively engaging with customers and using feedback to help travelers identify and confidently book the perfect trip.”

The Certificate of Excellence accounts for the quality, quantity and recency of reviews submitted by travelers on TripAdvisor over a 12-month period. To qualify, a business must maintain an overall TripAdvisor bubble rating of at least four out of five, have a minimum number of reviews and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months.

About TripAdvisorTripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site*, enables travelers to unleash the full potential of every trip. With over 600 million reviews and opinions covering the world’s largest selection of travel listings worldwide – covering approximately 7.5 million accommodations, airlines, attractions, and restaurants — TripAdvisor provides travelers with the wisdom of the crowds to help them decide where to stay, how to fly, what to do and where to eat. TripAdvisor also compares prices from more than 200 hotel booking sites so travelers can find the lowest price on the hotel that’s right for them. TripAdvisor-branded sites are available in 49 markets, and are home to the world’s largest travel community of 455 million average monthly unique visitors**, all looking to get the most out of every trip. TripAdvisor: Know better. Book better. Go better.

With the changing season, it means one of our next big events is just around the corner, the always popular Hangar Dance! In fact, this event has been so popular, we’ve essentially run out of space. While a great problem to have, it certainly makes it more difficult for us to provide a quality show, especially if we have to push all the aircraft outside anyway. So, in an exciting twist, we’ve decided we’re going to bring the Hangar Dance to town!

The 2018 Big Band Hangar Dance will be on February 10th (the weekend before Valentine’s Day for those paying attention), at the Virginia Beach Convention Center Ballroom. The museum will be bringing in aircraft, vehicles and all the bunting you can handle in order to dress up the ballroom as a hangar. We’re still dressing up in our best 1940s costumes, with aircraft photo booth, auctions and live entertainment. Still your best choice for a Valentine’s date in Hampton Roads!

We’re also classing up your experience, and giving you a couple of new options for the evening. If you purchase a Dinner/Dance ticket this year, you’ll be treated to a private cocktail hour with auction preview and a three course plated delectable meal from Distinctive Gourmet. We can also set you up with a reserved table for you and your friends, putting you close to the action with sparkling wine for the table. New this year, for those who want to dance but not necessarily eat, we’re offering a lower priced Dance Only ticket. We’re excited about these improvements, and hope you are as well. We’ll see you on the dance floor!